Are wild and cultivated flowers served in restaurants or sold by local producers in Denmark safe for the consumer?

Abstract

New Nordic Food has within the last decade received much media coverage with chefs of top restaurants using wild plants for foods. As part of a control campaign, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration visited 150 restaurants and local food producers from May-October 2016 and investigated their use of plants picked from the wild, cultivated in private gardens or market gardens. Among the species used were the flowers from 23 plants. Here we present a safety evaluation of these flowers based on published phytochemical investigations and toxicological data in humans, farm animals, pets, or experimental animals. Of the 23 flowers reviewed, nine contained compounds with toxic or potentially toxic effects if eaten, two contained unidentified toxic compound(s), and four were flowers from plants with potentially toxic compounds present in other plant parts or related species. Many of the flowers may be considered novel, since a use to a significant degree in Europe prior to 15 May 1997 before Regulation (EC) 258/97 on novel food and novel food ingredients came into force could not be established. In conclusion, this review illuminates a striking lack of chemical and toxicological data of many of the proposed wild or cultivated flowers for food use.

Edible Flowers, Old Tradition or New Gastronomic Trend: A First Look at Consumption in Portugal versus Costa Rica

“…As chefs know already that some aspects linked with culinary pleasure captured through our senses are closely connected to emotions, they explore this by using ingredients and raw materials which are able to awaken these sensations. Hence, flowers, due to their varied colors, intense aromas and exquisite taste, are among those ingredients, and restaurants are, therefore, places where EF can be found in gastronomic preparations [ 35 , 36 ].…”

“…As chefs know already that some aspects linked with culinary pleasure captured through our senses are closely connected to emotions, they explore this by using ingredients and raw materials which are able to awaken these sensations. Hence, flowers, due to their varied colors, intense aromas and exquisite taste, are among those ingredients, and restaurants are, therefore, places where EF can be found in gastronomic preparations [35]. The places where the participants ate EF for the first time were in restaurants (for 46%), followed by the participants' own homes (30%) and only a small percentage ate them for the first time in cafés or pastry shops (4%).…”

Edible Flowers of Tagetes erecta L. as Functional Ingredients: Phenolic Composition, Antioxidant and Protective Effects on Caenorhabditis elegans

“…However, more reports related to edible flowers’ safety and usage are needed if they are to be considered functional foods or a part of our diet [2]. The lack of knowledge about their toxicological effect was already highlighted by Egebjerg et al [3]. They reviewed 23 flowers identified in a control campaign in Danish restaurants and nine of them contained compounds with toxic effects or a potentially toxic effect.…”

Food Safety Implications of Transitions Toward Sustainable Healthy Diets

“…The safety of wild plants used in the NND has been assessed in 2 risk assessments of 4 wild plants potentially used as vegetables and 23 flowers served at restaurants. 96,97 One of the 4 assessed plants (common lambsquarters [ Chenopodium album L]) was found to potentially pose a risk due to high levels of oxalic acid. The authors emphasized the need for more and better compositional analyses of potential edible plants before recommending these as a substantial part of a healthy diet.…”

“…96 Other authors emphasized the lack of both chemical and toxicological data for the risk assessment of wild or cultivated flowers for food use. 97…”